Resource tax is a mandatory financial obligation applicable to all organizations and individuals exploiting natural resources in Vietnam. Unlike value added tax or corporate income tax, this tax is calculated directly based on the exploitation output, taxable price and tax rate for each type of resource. If businesses do not clearly understand how to determine these three factors, they may declare incorrectly, leading to legal risks, additional collection, late payment penalties or other expenses when settling. The following article will provide comprehensive instructions on how to calculate resource tax, related legal bases, correct accounting methods and common mistakes to avoid in 2025.
What is resource tax and current legal basis?
Resource tax is an indirect tax applied to the exploitation of natural resources such as minerals, water, natural forests, oil and gas, etc. The goal of resource tax is to regulate the exploitation of national resources and generate revenue for the state budget.
Legal basis for adjusting resource tax includes:
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The 2018 Consolidated Law on Natural Resources Tax clearly stipulates taxable subjects, tax bases, and cases of exemption and reduction.
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Circular 152/2015/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance, detailed instructions on tax calculation prices, output, declaration and tax payment procedures.
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Circular 80/2021/TT-BTC, related to the declaration process, tax code issuance and tax payment deadline.
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In addition, businesses need to update the decisions of the Provincial People's Committee on the price list for calculating resource tax, which is periodically announced.
Taxable entities and principles of calculating resource tax
Subjects subject to resource tax are organizations, households and individuals directly exploiting natural resources regardless of commercial purposes or internal use.
The principle of calculating resource tax includes 3 components:
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Actual resource output
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Resource tax calculation price
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Tax rates corresponding to each type of resource
Enterprises can only determine accurate tax obligations when all three of these factors are present, while complying with local regulations where they operate.
Taxable resource output
Taxable output is the actual output that the mining unit puts into consumption, use or storage, regardless of the output recorded on the license. In case of unprocessed resources without invoices, the tax authority may base on the mining log, actual inspection report or technical standards to determine the output.
For example:
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With sand mining for filling, taxable output is the number of cubic meters of sand transported to the warehouse or sold to the market.
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In natural forest exploitation, output is converted to m³ according to each type of wood.
Resource tax calculation price
The taxable price is the selling price excluding VAT in case of invoice issuance. If the selling price cannot be determined, the enterprise must apply the price list issued by the provincial People's Committee at the time of exploitation.
| Resource Type | Unit of measure | Taxable price (VND) |
|---|---|---|
| Sand filling | m³ | 50,000 – 90,000 |
| Building stone 1×2 | m³ | 150,000 – 180,000 |
| Coal | ton | 1,200,000 – 1,500,000 |
| Natural mineral water | m³ | 3,500 – 4,500 |
Tax rates are usually updated annually or according to local adjustments, so businesses need to regularly check with the Tax Department or Provincial Department of Finance.
Resource tax rates for each resource group
Resource tax rates are specifically regulated by resource group in the Appendix issued with the Law on Resource Tax, and can be adjusted by the Provincial People's Council in accordance with local exploitation conditions.
| Resource Group | Tax rate (%) |
|---|---|
| Rare metal minerals | 15 – 40 |
| Construction stone, gravel, sand | 5 – 15 |
| Coal, oil, natural gas | 6 – 12 |
| Mineral water, natural water | 5 – 8 |
| Natural forest wood | 30 – 40 |
How to calculate resource tax
Resource tax is determined based on three core factors: mining output, taxable price and tax rate. Although the general formula is quite simple, errors often occur in determining each input component. Specifically, the tax payable is calculated according to the formula:
| Resource tax = Taxable output × Taxable price × Tax rate |
Taxable output is the actual volume of resources that the enterprise exploits during the period, which can be determined through the measurement system at the mine, warehouse receipts or technical standards if there is no direct measuring device. The taxable price is taken from the selling price excluding VAT at the time of exploitation, or if there is no transaction, the enterprise must apply the price list issued by the provincial People's Committee. Regarding tax rates, each type of resource has its own collection rate according to the framework of the Law on Natural Resources Tax and can be adjusted by the locality within the permitted range.
For example, enterprise B exploits 1,000 m³ of construction stone in Binh Duong with a taxable price of VND 150,000 per cubic meter, applying a tax rate of 15%. The amount of resource tax payable will be 1,000 x 150,000 x 15% = VND 22,500,000. If in the same period the enterprise continues to exploit an additional 500 m³ of construction sand with a taxable price of VND 70,000 and a tax rate of 10%, the additional resource tax incurred will be VND 3,500,000.
Thus, the total resource tax that the enterprise must pay in the month is 26,000,000 VND. This is not a small number and can directly affect the reasonable cost when settling corporate income tax if it is not fully and correctly accounted for.
Exemption and reduction of resource tax
Cases of resource tax exemption
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Exploitation for national defense, security and disaster prevention.
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Exploitation within the scope of licensed research and exploration projects.
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Resources recovered from production waste, not directly exploited.
Case of resource tax reduction
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Temporarily stop mining activities due to natural disasters and major accidents.
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Exploitation of resources with low reserves, poor quality or difficult mining locations.
Enterprises wishing to be exempted need to prepare a dossier and send it to the tax authority with a verification report and related documents.
Accounting for resource tax in enterprises
According to Circular 200/2014/TT-BTC, resource tax is recorded as production cost or management-sales cost depending on the purpose of using exploited resources. Enterprises need to account correctly to ensure that costs are accepted when settling taxes.
Table: Accounting for resource tax
| Business arising | Debit Account | Credit Account | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record of resource tax payable | 627 (if used for manufacturing) | 3336 | General production costs related to exploited resources |
| 641, 642 (if used for sales or management) | 3336 | Selling or administrative costs related to resources | |
| Pay resource tax | 3336 | 111 or 112 | Pay resource tax in cash or by bank transfer |
Note: Resource tax is only counted as a valid expense if the enterprise has sufficient invoices, mining licenses, production lists and declares and pays on time according to tax code 3336.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
In the practice of applying resource tax, many businesses make mistakes that lead to additional tax or expense collection when settling. One of the most common mistakes is to incorrectly determine the taxable output, often due to not fully updating the mining log or lacking technical documents to verify the actual volume. In addition, using the old tax price, not looking up the new price list announced by the Provincial People's Committee at the time of mining, is also the cause of under- or over-calculation of tax payable.
Many businesses still confuse tax rates, especially when exploiting many types of resources in a project or not clearly classifying output products. In addition, errors in accounting accounts, recording resource tax incorrectly in accounts 627, 641, 642 but wrongly in 811 or unacceptable expense accounts, can easily cause expenses to be rejected when the tax authority inspects.
To overcome this, businesses need to proactively update tax calculation prices according to the latest price list of the Provincial People's Committee, and periodically review relevant regulations. Preparing detailed mining output reports, confirmed by the technical department, will help improve transparency and protect businesses when they need to explain. In the context of digitalizing financial and accounting management, priority should be given to using software with the function of tracking mining output by mine, contract or resource group, helping to minimize the risk of errors right from the start.
Conclusion and suggestions for resource exploitation enterprises
Resource tax is not simply a budget revenue, but also demonstrates the responsibility of enterprises for exploiting and protecting national resources. Inaccurate declaration, incorrect use of price list or confusion about tax rates can lead to serious consequences such as tax arrears, administrative penalties or exclusion of reasonable expenses when settling.
To avoid risks and proactively control tax obligations, businesses need to implement many solutions at the same time. First of all, they should regularly review newly issued regulations, especially tax rates and tax rates announced by localities. Next, organizing the correct accounting accounts according to the instructions in Circular 200 is a prerequisite to ensure that expenses are recognized.
If the company does not have in-depth experience in the field of mineral exploitation, it can consider two directions:
- Provide specialized training to existing accounting staff, especially in resource exploitation.
- Work with a tax consultant or accountant with practical experience in the industry to ensure compliance and optimize legitimate expenses.
In the context of digital transformation and increasing pressure to control the budget, a solid, transparent and accurate tax system will be the foundation to help businesses stabilize their operations and develop sustainably.
